Many cruisers celebrated this spring when the
Florida Legislature completed its session without passing a law restricting
anchoring; however, we all knew the subject would rise again this year. The
Florida House of Representatives is scheduling a public workshop in Tallahassee for sometime during the week of October 5-9, 2015. This workshop's focus is squarely on whether to restrict
anchoring in public waters adjacent to waterfront residences, according to an
email from the Chair of the State Affairs Committee or the Florida House of Representatives. We won’t know which day until as little as a week before, so please share this will all who might be able to go and help represent the cruising community.
One more note: This past spring,
boating enthusiasts and advocates organized to developed astrong yet civil message to legislators to help them understand how anchoring restrictions might negatively affect cruisers, civic groups, municipalities, and
marine and waterway businesses – and this helped allow the restrictive Senate Bill to die on the floor. Threats and bad conduct – online or otherwise – often negatively affects the outcome of a cause.
Think you might be able to participate in the Tallahassee workshop? Please
send me an email.
Here’s the article I wrote Sep. 15 with the letter and all the details:
Florida House to hold anchoring regulation public workshop in October located in General | Waterway Guide News Update